Stormy weather gives some relief from heat

7/22/2011

After a week of extreme heat, Toledoans are now experiencing some relief in temperatures after severe thunderstorms moved through the area Friday afternoon, dropping temperatures by 20 degrees.

When the storms moved over Lucas County at about 1 p.m., the temperature dropped from 93 to 73 degrees within the hour, and were holding steady Friday evening.

Toledo Express and Defiance airports reported that 1 1/4 inches of rain fell in those areas Friday, although Toledo Executive Airport, formerly Metcalf Field, reported only 3/10 of an inch of rain fell in the region.

In addition to an excessive heat warning that was in effect until 9 p.m. Friday — for Wood, Hancock, Seneca, and 11 other counties, The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for northern Wood County, northwestern Sandusky County, and western Ottawa County until 10 p.m. Friday. A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect in Lucas, Wood, Sandusky, Ottawa and 47 other Ohio counties until 8 p.m. Friday.

Area county officials said they did not have any high water areas to mark, but they did report weather-related damage to trees and power.

A dispatcher in the Lucas County Sheriff’s Office said the storm knocked down “several” trees in Waterville that, in turn, damaged power lines.

In Defiance, where storms were reportedly strong, authorities reported one downed tree on Domersville Road and fallen power lines throughout the area. Wood County Deputy Holland also spoke of power line damage from fallen tree branches on Bradner and Recker Roads.

Debbie Paul, Toledo Area Manager of Toledo Edison, said 10,000 customers were without power at about 4:30 p.m. Friday because of storm-induced circuit lockouts. She said the company expected to resolve all of the outages before Saturday.

The Franklin Park Mall experienced flickering lights at around 2:30 p.m. in areas scattered throughout the mall, but power was fully restored. A mall representative said nobody was alarmed, and the mall followed emergency protocol procedures.

Ottawa County Sheriff Deputy Jennifer Mansor said lightning downed a few trees and struck a railroad crossing in Graytown. The fire department, she added, was called to a residence in Port Clinton at 4:30 p.m. Friday because the family believed it had been struck.

Authorities were called to the home of Louis Escobar, a former Toledo City Councilman, late Friday afternoon after his Ashbrook Drive residence was struck by lightning and caught fire.

The National Weather Service is calling for a highs of 90 degrees both Saturday and Sunday, with a 50 and 40 percent chance of storms each day, respectively.